Melissa McCarthy was a guest on Anderson Cooper’s talk show yesterday, and the hilarious 41 year-old actress revealed that she’s starting her own plus-size women’s clothing line. Unlike most other celebrities who slap their names on clothing, McCarthy has actual experience in the field. She went to fashion school and used to make clothing for clients. McCarthy even made the dress she wore to the Emmys this year. So when she told Cooper that she was starting her own clothing line it sounded like she was genuine about it and not like she just wanted to make some cash. McCarthy also discussed her body image. She said that while she cares about her weight and would like to be thinner she realizes it’s not that important in the scheme of things. This is similar to what she’s said in the past about it, and it’s nice to hear. Here’s more:

On her body image
“I’ve been up and down. I’ve been much thinner since my second baby. I’m still working on it. It’s a work in progress.”

“There’s so many other things to worry about. I still worry about it, but I think, my kids are healthy, I’ve got a great husband, and I go to work every day and do what I want.”

On her kids
“I have a four and a half year-old and a 19 month, and I want them to be confident, strong, happy, healthy women and define themselves by their actions and what they do, and how they treat other people. I know everything else is going to get all caught up in it. My job, I think, is to always bring it back to what do you do, how do you live, what do you say to other people?”

She’s kind of awesome. I haven’t been a fan as I’ve only seen her in Bridesmaids, but I’m really warming up to her. I didn’t know that she was a mom and that her kids were so little! The Daily Mail has a whole article on McCarthy’s goth past, including a photo of her with porcupine hair which Anderson points out looks just like Kate Gosselin’s old ‘do!. You can see a video of her talking about being a goth in high school here. I can relate, as I went through a similar phase in the very late 80s. I used to shave my hair on one side too, but thankfully I grew out of that, and grew it out, quickly.

Photos credit The Anderson Cooper show. Tune in information here. McCarthy is also shown on 11-7-11 outside The Late Show and at an event. Credit: WENN.com

i’m not a nutritionist or anything (maybe i shouldn’t even be responding at all), but being overweight or underweight doesn’t necessarily mean someone is unhealthy. apparently some people just have more fat cells than others and a much slower metabolism and vice versa. weight isn’t always an indication of health.

I totally agree. It is so frustrating when the media, gossip blogs, everyone calls out the thin models/actresses for being such a terrible role model but then they have nothing but love for someone who is grossly overweight. I personally think it would be best if there was a healthy medium, where women who had a healthy body weight but were not necessarily pin thin were the ideal. That will probably never happen. But to make someone who is very overweight into a role model for “real women” or whatever other nonsense is just crazy. The long, long list of health problems that come along with being overweight should be enough to make people realize that we don’t need overweight being the ideal.

I think the difference is those models/actresses are being presented as the ideal – for the fashion and beauty product world especially, magazine covers, etc. The message always seems to be “be like them”, whereas no one is really saying that about an overweight person. I don’t know that they’re being looked at as role models in the same way.

Here here! She’s about my body type, I’m really excited to see what she comes up with! I truly am tired of things that look either like something an elderly hooker might wear, or a tent, which is pretty much the extent of department story plus-size “fashion.”

I love her, she is down to earth, self-deprecating and just seems like such a nice person! I liked when she talked about being goth, although she dressed all in black, she said she was still really chatty and friendly, which kind of goes against the goth image! Too funny.

LOVED her in Bridesmaids!! She stole the show in a really great cast.
Love her sitcom, but don’t get to catch it too often. She is pretty, funny, smart, I’d want to be on her short list of friends for sure!

Some people start out disadvantaged in some way whether it be financially or genetically or behaviorally that can cause weight gain. Once the body has too many fat cells it can take enormous effort to reduce…and you still need energy to live…so people eat. Then there’s all the temptations and even just a bit of this or that is enough to keep the weight on. What does help is kindness, understanding and love.
Now that’s a motivator.
We all could use more.

I love her and i cant wait for her clothing line to come out. Im smaller than her but still overweight.
People need to understand its really hard to lose weight. One day you might lose five the next gain 2 or 3 pounds back.
I ended up gaining all the weight back that I lost and to find someone who to me is role model for girls of a bigger size is great.
So understand just because you can lose weight easy and its easier for you to mantain it doesn’t mean it’ll be just as easy for everyone else.
People are different whats what inside is what counts most than whats on the outside.